Once upon a time there was a rich man who was a Christian. One day a person asked him, “How come you have so much money, and yet you give so much away?”

The rich man said, “Well, I shovel it out, and God shovels it in, and His shovel is bigger than mine!” The problem is, most Christians are not giving God a chance to use His shovel!

Some have money and they are hoarding it! Some have talents and they aren’t using them for the Lord, and the list goes on and on! Trust God and shovel it out. Trust me, you can’t out give HIM!

Once upon a time there was a man, his wife, and little girl on a trip. During the trip the little girl came down with a high fever. The man took her to a near by hospital. The little girl didn’t understand why he had taken her there especially when the doctor starting probing around and made her cry.

She said, “Daddy, why did you bring me here?” She did not understand that, since she was sick he was doing the wisest thing he could do under the circumstances and that he was doing it because he loved her!

Children of God, we need to understand that God is doing what’s best for us. We man not understand His reasoning, but we must believe it’s for our best. We are like little children, and we don’t understand God’s ways, we simply must trust Him!

Isa. 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

I’ve told many of you that you can’t stay up and hoot with the owls at night and expect to get up and soar with the eagles in the morning. Well, last night I stayed up and hooted with the owls and this morning I’m having a hard time soaring.

I fell asleep in the recliner watching the LA/Nuggets playoff game. When I woke up it was 2:30 a.m. and I finally went to bed at 3:15. Of course I woke up early as usual and tried to go back to sleep. My eyes feel like they have cement in them as I write this devotional, and by the way, reading God’s Word this morning was difficult!

This is a small portion of what I read this morning. “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God…” God is good, all the time even when Bubba sins and does stupid things!

With the presidential election right around the corner there’s a lot of talk going on! Some say that if President Obama is elected again it will be a tragedy! I will have to admit the economy is bad, the US is in debt up to it’s ears, and there’s continued debates on the definition of marriage?

It may look bad but let me say this, the future looks good for us Christians. Trust me, God is on His throne and He’s gonna straighten things out sooner or later! The greatest days are yet in the future!

Walking down the streets of gold with those we haven’t seen in years! Worshiping God the Father and Jesus His Son! No more suffering and no more pain. Living in a place where there’s no sin, no light, no air conditioner and no heater. There’s no light there because the glory of God fills the place!

This is a few things that’s in store for us Christians. The future is only as bleak as we make it out to be. Trust God, like the Bible says, He’s on His throne and He’s in control of all things! “Believe or Not!”

This morning many of you missed out on spending time with the creator of heaven and earth. My, how He must feel when we reject His fellowship!

We are God’s workmanship and if we’re saved we are to serve Him and Him only! You are a soldier in the Kings army and we are to go into battle for Him daily!

We are not to enter this battle naked as a Jay Bird, we are to enter with God’s armour on! Many Christians today are getting the snot beat out of them because they’ve left their armour hanging in the closet as they drive to work or school.

We’ll never be what God wants us to be until we decide to spend time alone with Him daily! The Bible says in Ephesians to get up and put on the full armour of God!

Rejection and rebellion go hand in hand, where you find the one, you’ll find the other! Today, do not reject God’s fellowship, discipline, forgiveness, mercy and grace!

There is no difference between a man, woman, boy or girl. We’re all the same in the eyes of our Lord.

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!”

The idea of a superior race is absolutely preposterous! The ground at the foot of the cross is level! Whoever you are, your position in society, where you attend church or go to school, or the color of your skin will not help you!

Without Jesus a person is doomed to bust hell wide open! Praise God, He has provided a way to heaven and that is through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ!

Why don’t you turn your eyes toward Jesus?

Back in the day when I was a boy many white people thought they were better than the blacks. We’d work by a black man in the field but during dinner time when we were on the inside eating he was on the outside eating in the heat!

I’m so thankful God is colored blind. He doesn’t look at the color of a man’s skin, He looks at His heart. God sent His Son so we could be saved. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Jew or Gentile, salvation is offered freely to anyone who believes in the name of the Lord!

Acts 15:17 says, “That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things”

Romans 9:14, What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid

Why me Lord? Does that sound familiar? We have no right to question what God does, for what He does good or bad is for our best!

To question God would be rebellion of the worst sort. We must bow to God our Creator and Redeemer, knowing that whatever choice He makes is right!

We need to bow our stiffed necks and stubborn knees before our God who loves us and admit there is no unrighteousness in HIM!

God is right in what He does, good or bad, thick or thin! He is in control even though it doesn’t seem like it at times! Remember, God loves you and me more than anything! Be encouraged in that fact, Jack!

Job 13:13, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him…” Even though Job was at death’s door he had complete confidence in the Lord! This is the kind of faith you and I need my friends!

We often do what Jeremiah did, “Why did you let ME see trouble?” In other words, “Why me Lord, why couldn’t it have been someone else?”

During an earthquake years ago a Christian walked out into a street and saw nothing but debris and destruction. As she stood there she had a big smile on her face. Her friend said, “How in the world can you stand there and smile like that?” She replied, “I rejoice that I have a God who can shake heaven and earth!”

How wonderful it is to face life and death unafraid because you have placed your faith in a living God who cares about you 110 percent! Our goal should be to get to that place in our lives of total commitment to Him!

As I look back over my life I can see how God has used everything that’s happened to me to bring Him glory. I wondered why at the time God moved me from Georgia to Oklahoma to play football! I was there that I met my Robin! I wondered why God allowed me to injure my back which caused me to have back surgery! After the injury I surrendered to the ministry! I wondered why God moved my family to Oklahoma City from Muskogee! It was in Moore at FBC where I saw how a church and a pastor loved it’s staff! I wondered why God moved me from the church in Moore to The Met in Houston, Texas where I was asked to resign after 6 years and 3 months of service! It was at The Met where we were 24th in the nation in children’s baptisms and I was introduced to many of you! By the way, I thank The Met for letting me go. It they had not done that I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today!

At the time, I thought, Lord, why are all the bad things happening to me?  Once the clouds disappeared I realized God was actually doing me a favor. You see, I’ve learned that people may do things to be ugly, but God allows things to happen for our best! He allows things to happen because he loves us very much!

Romans 8:28 says, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose!